The Hamilton Ticats fell, 30-20, to the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday afternoon in a Canadian Football League game that was actually much closer than the final score might indicate. Hamilton was within three points in the final minutes but, once again, couldn't find a way to win.

Hamilton put up more yards than the Stamps, had more first downs, led in time of possession, registered more sacks — they even had fewer penalty yards. And yet, for the sixth time in seven games this season, they came out on the losing end.

"It's a lot more than one or two plays — it's the whole game," said a clearly frustrated Craig Butler after the loss.

"It's discipline, it's taking penalties, it's giving them drives, it's mental mistakes at crucial times. It's these little things add up over the week in practice and then they add up in the game and it gets exposed."

It started right from the coin toss. After winning the flip for just the second time this season, the Ticats elected to take the ball to begin the game instead of deferring and playing with the wind at their backs in the second and fourth quarters.

Then, on their opening series, a couple of first downs — followed by a sack and a penalty leading to a punt. On defence, three more penalties in aid of Calgary's opening touchdown drive. Just like that, it was 7-0.

More miscues. The Ticats looked to tie it up with just over four minutes to play in the half but Justin Medlock's 48-yard field-goal try into the wind was wide right after Luke Tasker struggled to get the ball positioned correctly on the hold, turning the laces toward the Hamilton kicker instead of away from him.

On the very next play, another mistake. Ticat defensive back Courtney Stephen slipped in coverage and Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell hit Joe West with a 74-yard bomb that set up another touchdown and allowed Calgary to head into halftime with a 17-7 lead.

"We battle back, we get in ball games, but we're not a good enough football team to overcome a deficit like that," head coach Kent Austin afterward.

The Ticats did battle back to within three points with just under six minutes to play but another couple of errors did them in for good.

The defence, which looked to have the Calgary offence stymied after sacking Mitchell, allowed a 21-yard completion to ex-Ticat Simon Charbonneau-Campeau costing them vital time and yardage. They finally got the ball back at their own 10, under 2½ minutes to play, but Jeremiah Masoli, subbing for the injured Dan LeFevour, threw an interception to all but seal it.

That's five easily identifiable mistakes that contributed, in some small way, to the Ticat loss.

"It's the same things we've talked about, the same things over and over again. It's really not anybody but the players who are going to be able to correct it," Butler said. "Everybody knows what needs to be done. There isn't a person in this locker-room that doesn't know what needs to be done."

They'll have some time to think about it. The Ticats don't play again for two solid weeks as they are the first team in the CFL season to use up both of their bye weeks. Hamilton returns to action on Labour Day against the Toronto Argonauts.

Despite their struggles, the Ticats remain in second place in the woeful East Division — if the postseason began this week, they'd be hosting a playoff game — and therefore still have an opportunity to salvage their season.

But can they?

Butler says they will.

"Put it this way: When we come back and play Toronto, if our play doesn't answer it, then there are a lot more problems than I think there are, he said.

Harris does his part

It was hard to fault Erik Harris for the loss against Calgary — he certainly did his part.

A linebacker by training, Harris had a touchdown reception, a defensive tackle, a special-teams tackle, a sack, a pass knock-down and an interception in Saturday's loss.

The TD catch, a 55-yard strike from Dan LeFevour in the opening quarter, was his first scoring play since high school.

"It happened like I thought it was going to happen: wide open with the fans screaming. I didn't really care about the touchdown, I just wanted to catch the ball, to be honest," Harris said. "A lot of my teammates were saying I looked like a DB. I don't know if that's a compliment or not."

Though he kept the ball as a keepsake, the second-year Ticat said his personal accomplishments feel hollow in light of the loss.

"It's exciting, but it's not enough," Harris said. "We've got to turn things around and I think we have the right guys in the locker-room."

NOTES: Ticat scratches were defensive back Emanuel Davis and offensive lineman Carson Rockhill. ... Austin's unsuccessful challenge in the second quarter made him one-for-four on the season in that department. ... Hamilton defensive end Antonio Coleman suffered a neck injury after a helmet-to-helmet collision late in the second quarter and did not return. ... Ticat linebacker David Caldwell took an objectionable-conduct penalty after being injured in the third quarter. ... The Ticats had to burn a timeout with just under six minutes to play when they were short a man on special teams. ... Linebacker Rico Murray missed the second half with a hamstring injury.